Attachment for typewriters or like printing mechanisms for producing offsetting of printed impressions



March 13, 1951 M. KISSELL ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS 0R LIKE PRINTINGMECHANISMS FOR PRODUCING OFFSETTING 0F PRINTED IMPRESSIONS 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1947 March 13, 1951 M. KISSELL ATTACHMENTFOR TYFEWRITERS 0R LIKE PRINTING MECHANISMS FOR PRODUCING OFFSETTING 0FPRINTED IMPRESSIONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 3, 1947 March 13, 1951K ss 2,544,998

ATTACHMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS 0R LIKE PRINTING MECHANISMS FOR PRODUCINGOFFSETTING OF. PRINTED IMPRESSIONS Filed April 3, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 3Patented Mar. 13, 1951 ATTACHMENT FOR. TYPEWRITERS OR LIKE PRINTINGMECHANISMS FOR PRODUCING OFFSETTING OF PRINTED IlMPRESSIONS MichaelKissell, Washington, D. C.

Application April 3, 1947, Serial No. 739,040

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to typewriting machines, and moreparticularly to means and methods of operating the printinginstrumentalities thereof to produce what I term bold-fac ing effects orimpressions of the printing characters or symbols of the type bars.

It is quite well known that the conventional typewriter in use at thistime includes a shift key, the function of which is to displace the faceof a type bar in an angular or verticaldirection relative to the platenso as to print either capitals or lower case letters as the case may be.Also, the key board of these machines includes a backspacing key, theoperation of which will cause the typewriter carriage to step back anincrement of movement equal to the space of a character or more thanone, for purposes too well known to need explanation.

The object of the present invention is to provide means so associated.with the typewriter carriage that either a slight longitudinal or aslight rotative displacement, or both such displacements, of the platenprinting surface may be effected, whereby the type printing impressions4 will be oifset relative to the normal positions for such impressionson the printing sheet. The result above referred to is comparable towhat would take place if the shift key of the keyboard were slightlydepressed and a type bar were then operated to imprint the characterthereon on the sheet or when the back-spacingkey is slightly depressedto move the carriage a fraction of its normal movement and then a typebar operated to imprint its character. In the first instance, theimpression on the sheet would be shifted slightly from the normal in adirection at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the platen, Whilein the second, the displacement would be in the longitudinal direction.Each of these operations, or both simultaneously, would have to be socarefully carried out that it is not practical to use the two keys ofthe keyboard for the purpose of bold-facing, as contemplated herein. Asstated above, the object of this invention is to provide as anattachment to a typewriter machine supplemental means or mechanism foreffecting the partial displacements above described, separately andsimultaneously, so as to cause printing of a character in an offsetposition relative to the normal impression on rewriting the characterand thereby obtain bold-facing of a selected part of the text, such asparagraph headings, titles, quotations, etc., typewritten on machines ofexisting types. The extent of the offset may be variable and dependsmore 2 V or less upon the aristic ideas or considerations of theoperator.

Broadly stated, my method of carrying out the objective, results in arelative displacement between the type members and the impressionreceiving the sheet whether this displacement is lateral or angular, ora. component of both, and

whether or not the said displacement is produced by these shift orback-spacing keys or other means.

A typical method of producing the bo1dfacing referred to above, is totypewrite the paragraph those of the first and will present a doubleoutline form to each character, slightly darker in appearance as awhole. The characters may even be shaded when one writing is moreheavily impressed than the other.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth and the novelfeatures thereof defined by theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a typewriter carriage of well-knownmanufacture, partly shown in section and showing the platen unit in dotand dash lines for purposes of clarity;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1, showing this invention as designed to effect longitudinaldisplacement of the carriage to produce one type of offset ofthe'impressions of. the type bar characters;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view taken onthe plane indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4. is an elevation view of one end of the carriage showing moreclearly the manual shifting means for the carriage;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the preferred form ofthe invention for independently producing either longitudinaldisplacement of the carriage or rotative displacement of the platen, orboth such displacements simultaneously;

Figure 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on the line 6-6 ofFigure Figure 7 is a detail View of the shifting lever of themodification shown in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the slide plate shiftable by theshifting lever;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 99 of Figure 5,showing, clearly the detent for holding the slide plate in its differentpositions; and

Figure 10 shows a series of the different forms of type impressionsobtainable by the'use of my invention.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the severalfigures of'the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, and specifically describing that form of myinvention shown in Figure 1, l designates the carriage of a wellknowntype of typewriter, 2 the esoapement rack bar, and 3 the pinion engagedby said rack bar. For thepurpose of adjusting this bar to the scale ofthe typewriter there i provided an eccentric plate and nut mountedbetween the arms of the keeper 4 rigidly secured to said bar. Thispermit relative movement between the rack bar and the'carriage frame. Itake advantage of this adjustability in adapting my invention to thismachine; that is to say, I remove this eccentric adjustingmeans andsubstitute a plate 5 in its stead, secured by the holding or guide bolt'5 which passes through a slot 5' in the plate and into the roller guidebar I at the base of the carriage frame. A rod-8, threaded at one end at8', is screwed into the connector plate and extends through an openingin the bearing arm 9 and through the end H] of the carriage framesufficiently far as to receive an end of the arm II. This arm at one endis fixed to the rod 8 by the shouldered screw l2 and extends upwardly tocoact with the stud l3 fastened in the end of the frame, as clearlyshown in Figure 2. A shouldered collar 14 on the inner end of the studis seated in the face of the frame end Hi and between the face of thiscollar and the inner face of the arm H is disposed a conventional springwasher lfi'tending to press the arm I l and its connecting rod 8 towardthe right or away from the frame end.

" The outer end of the stud I3 is threaded and receives the threaded endof the crank arm H5.

The remaining detail structure shown .in the drawing needs noexplanation or description as itforms no part of this invention and ispurely conventional as to this known typewriter.

It will be seen from the foregoing, that when the crank arm I6 isrotated on the threaded end qf-the stud l3 secured to the carriageframe, it will-react against the outer face of the arm ll attached tothe rack bar 2 which is then held stationary by the pinion 3, and, byvirtue of its threaded connection with the stud l3, draw the latterrightwardly to effect a rightward longitudinal shift of the carriageframe.

If now the paper in the machine around the platen has first hadimpressions of the type bar characters printed thereon, the shifting ofthe carriage-by the crank arm I5, as-above described, will cause saidcharacters to be displaced in a horizontal direction with relation tothe normal position when written. Upon the retyping of the samecharacters overthe ones first imprinted, each second reprint will beoifset from the first, thereby producing an open impressioncorresponding to that at X in Figure 10 of the drawings.

To make another style of impression, while the carriage is in thisdisplaced position, it is only necessary to rotatively adjust the platenby the usual release knob at the end of the platen unit. This doubleadjustment will then in the reprinting operation produce an offset ofthe second impression, as shown at Y in Figure 10 of the drawmgs.

A' third type of offset impression, as shown at Z, may be made byadjusting the platen roller as last described without the use of thelongitudinal displacement attachment shown in Figures 1 and 2.

However, with the preferred form of my invention as illustrated inFigures 4 to 6, the adjustments of the carriage and the platen rollermay be accomplished by a simple attachment disposed at the left end ofthe carriage and this will now be specifically described. At said end,the carriage l is provided with an extension support or frame l? toaccommodate certain lever instrumentalities for the carriage and platenroller. On the post i8 is pivotally mounted the usual carriage shiftinglever (not shown) by means of which the carriage is returned to itsinitial writing position and the platen is given a rotative movementcontrolled by the line control setting lever i9. Some of these parts areomitted from the drawings in order to eliminate confusion in theillustration of my invention.

Referring to Figure 5, I attach the keeper member 20 to the rack bar 2and between the side arms thereof I secure the slotted bearing plate 5athrough which extends the shouldered screw bolt to. To the plate 5a, Iconnect the threaded rod to which extends through the end wall of thecarriage frame and has connected to it the arm I lb, all exactly asdescribed with reference to the form shown in Figure 1.

On the threaded outer end of stud 8b I mount the lever [6a as amodification of the crank arm it used in the first described form. Thislever ita effects longitudinal shifting of the carriage in the identicalmanner described hereinbefore. However, in Figure 5,. it will be notedthat said lever (shown specifically in Figure 7) cooperates with a slideplate 21 mounted on top of the frame extension H. This plate has spacedguide slots '22 therein through which attaching and limiting screws 23extend, said slots and screws permitting the plate to move back andforth under the control of the lever ifia.

At a suitable point on one edge of the plate is formed a laterallyprojecting lug 24, extending into the path of forward movement of thelever [6a. .On the rear end of the slide plate 2! is pivotallycmounted apawl 25 which in the position shown in Figure 5, lies in the path of.movement of the lever 16a, so that on rearward movement of said leverthe plate is shifted rearwardly and on the forward movement of the leverthe plate is shifted reversely.

It will be understood that at this left end of the carriage, the platenunit is provided with the customary toothed Wheel 26 With which theroller friction arm 21 coacts to control the uniform spacing between thelines. The roller 28 normally lies between two teeth to hold the platenagainst accidental rotation, but when it is desired to spin or otherwiserotate the platen roller, this arm may be disengaged from the wheel bythe customary release lever 29.

In Figures 5 and 6, it will be observed that a similar friction arm 30is mounted on the slide plate 2|, tensioned by the spring 31, but inthis instance the roller 32, when the slide plate is shifted, rotativelyshifts the wheel and platen a slight amount and holds the platen at suchposition. This angular displacement of the roller is utilized inconjunction with the lateral displacement of the carriage in producingthe offset form of character shown at Y in Figure 10.

The operation of this preferred modification of my invention may now bedescribed in detail as follows:

Let it be assumed that the operator is typing upon a printing sheetinserted normally in the typewriter equipped with this attachment andhas reached a point where an expression is to be emphasized, or aheading is to be used, the words orletters are printed normally once onthe sheet. The carriage is then returned to the first letter impressionposition, the'release lever 29 operated to displace the arm 21 from thewheel 26 and the lever Ifia is shifted rearwardly until it hit the pawl25. This movement first compresses the washer |5a and causes the frameof the carriage to shift a slight degree in a lateral or longitudinaldirection (to the extent represented by the parallel lines W in Figure 1for example) and then moves the slide plate 2| rearwardly with theroller 32 seated between two teeth on the wheel 26, thereby angularlydisplacin the platen roller.

Now the same letters are rewritten over the first or original ones,producing a double line lettering, which stands out from the rest of thetext.

If, however, it is desired to produce the form of lettering as shown atX in Figure 10, then the pawl is turned into inoperative position asshown in Figure 8. The lever lfia will not shift the plate 2| androtation will not be imparted to the platen. A stop i6?) will in thisinstance limit the movement of the lever. In this operation justdescribed, the lever onlv effects the longitudinal movement of thecarriage.

It will, of course, be understood that when the offset imprinting iscompleted, it is only necessary to return t e lever IE to its normalforward position, in do ng which it contacts with the lug 24 whichrestores the plate 2| to the original position, whereupon the releaselever I9 is then normalized to reengage the roller 28 with the wheel 26.

It may be added that I prefer to provide a detent 33, as shown in Figure9, to hold the plate 21 in its different positions above referred to.

While the specific detailsof construction have been herein shown anddescribed, the invention is not confined thereto as changes "andalterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof asdefined by the appended claims.

I claim: 7

1. In apparatus of the type described, the combination of a work sheetsupporting unit for holding a work sheet in normal position for printingimpressions thereon comprising a shiftable carriage frame, a platenmounted on said carriage frame and fixed against longitudinal movementrelative to the carriage frame, whereby to permit printing ofimpressions uniformly spaced relative to each other on said work sheetwhile in said normal position, and a single means for bodily displacingsaid carriage frame and platen longitudinally and the platen angularlyslightly from the normal printing position aforesaid to permitreprinting of certain of-said impressions at correspondingly uniformspaced relations to the original printed impressions made in the normalposition, but out of register therewith to thereby consistently offsetthe reprinted impressions for bold-facing the impressions.

2. The combination with a typewriter machine having a carriage and rackbar, a platen mounted on and fixed against longitudinal movementrelative to the carriage, line spacing means coacting with said platenfor rotating the platen a full line space distance, and type bars andkeys for making type impressions on a Work sheet spaced uniformly fromeach other, of a single displacement means operable for shiftin theplaten in two directions at one time after first impressions are made onthe work sheet whereby on reimprinting said first impressions toslightly offset the second impressions in alignment with the first, tothereby form a distinct double outline type of impres sion.

3. The combination with a typewriter machine having a carriage and rackbar, a platen mounted on and fixed against longitudinal movementrelative to the carriage, line spacing means coacting with said platenfor rotating the platen a full line space distance, and type bars andkeys for making type impressions on a work sheet spaced uniformly fromeach other, of a single displacement means operable for simultaneouslyshifting the carriage longitudinally and the platen rotatively afterfirst impressions are made on the work sheet whereby on reimprintingsaid first impressions, each impression is offset both vertically andlaterally to produce a distinct double outline type of impression.

4. Typewriter apparatus of the class described, comprising a carriageframe, a platen mounted thereon, means for controlling the longitudinalmovement of said carriage frame including a rack bar, and a singleoperative means for effecting temporary relative displacement betweenthe rack bar and frame and rotative movement of the platen forreprinting impressions in an offset relation to first printedimpressions to thereby produce double outline impressions.

5. Typewriter apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the operativemeans comprises a rod connected to said rack bar, and a lever memberconnected to said rod to produce rectilinear movement of the carriageframe.

6. Typewriter apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the operativemeans comprises a rod connected to said rack bar, a lever memberconnected to said frame and rod to produce rectilinear movement of saidcarriage frame, and means operable by said lever member for temporarilyshifting the platen rotatively to a position for the reprinting of theimpressions in an offset relation to first impressions.

7. Typewriter apparatus of the class described,

comprising a carriage frame, a platen mounted thereon, means forcontrollin the longitudinal movement of said carriage frame including arack bar, and a single manually operative means for effecting temporaryrelative displacement both between the rack bar and frame and. betweenthe platen and said frame for reprinting impressions in an offsetrelation to first printed impressions to thereby produce double outlineimpressions.

8. Typewriter apparatus of the class described, comprisin a carriageframe, a platen mounted thereon, means for controlling the longitudinalmovement of said carriage frame, including a rack bar, and an attachmentmounted on said frame having a single member shiftable in one directionand means operable thereby for simultaneously imparting rectilinearmovement to the frame and rotative movement to the platen for reprintingimpressions in an offset relation to first printed impressions tothereby produce double outline impressions.

9. Typewriter apparatus of the class described, comprising a carriageframe, a platen mounted thereon, means for controlling the longitudinalmovement of said carriage frame, includin a rack bar, a connecting rodconnected at one end to the rack bar, a lever having screw connectionwith the frame and cooperative with an arm connected with the other endof said rod, and a plate attached to the carriage frame and having meansthereon cooperative with the platen for imparting rotative movement tosaid platen, said lever being shiftable to effect relative movementbetween the carriage frame and rack bar and being cooperative with saidplate to eiTect rotative movement of the platen.

10. Typewriter apparatus of the class described, comprising a carriageframe, a platen unit mounted thereon, including a ratchet wheel, meansfor controlling the longitudinal movement of said carriage frameincluding a rack bar, and an attachment mounted on said frame forcontrolling reprinting of first impressions on a work sheet, saidattachment comprising a slide plate having a tension arm mounted thereonfor co operation with the ratchet wheel when said plate is shifted, anarm connected to said rack bar, and a lever mounted on the carriageframe in juxtaposition to said plate and said last-mentioned arm, saidlever being movable in one direction to shift the slide platetopaltially rotate the ratchet wheel and movable in the reversedirection to retract the plate to its original position.

11. Typewriter apparatus of the class described, comprising a carriageframe, a platen unit mounted thereon including a ratchet wheel, meansfor controlling the longitudinal movement of said carriage frameincluding a rack bar, and an attachment mounted on said frame forcontrolling reprinting of first impressions on a work sheet, saidattachment comprising a slide plate having a tension arm mounted thereonfor co operation with the ratchet wheel when said plate is shifted toactuate said arm and ratchet wheel, a lever mounted on the carriageframe in juxtaposition to said plate, said lever being movable in onedirection to shift the tension arm to partially rotate the wheel andplaten unit and movable in the reverse direction to retract the arm, anda rod'on said carriage frame adjustably connected to the rack bar at oneend and coacting with the lever at its other end, said coaction betweenthe lever and rod effecting relative displacement between the carriageframe and rack bar as the platen unit is rotated as aforesaid.

12. Typewriter apparatus of the class described, comprising a carriageframe, a platen unit mounted thereon, including a ratchet wheel, meansfor controlling the longitudinal movement of the carriage frameincluding a rack bar, and an attachment mounted on said frame forcontrolling reprinting of first impressions on a work sheet, saidattachment comprising a slide plate having a tension arm mounted thereonfor cooperation with the ratchet wheel when said plate is actuated, alever mounted on the carriage frame in juxtaposition to said plate, andmeans on said plate adjustable into the path of movement of said leverso that said lever, when shifted in one direction, will shift thetension arm and the ratchet wheel to partially rotate the platen unit,said means being shiftable in the opposite direction to adjust it into aposition out of the path of movement of the lever to prevent rotativemovement of the platen unit as aforesaid.

MICHAEL KISSELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 697,676 Shepard Apr. 15, 1902773,802 Maynard Nov. 1, 1904 1,012,888 Merlin Dec. 28, 1911 1,016,057Yaw Jan. 30, 1912 2,192,330 Roberts Mar. 5, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 415,196 Germany of 1925

